Nutrition & Diet Protein complementation

[Second Summer]

I've always thought that, sure, you don't have to eat all the essential amino acids in the same meal, but at least in your overall diet you have to take care so you get amino acids from complementary sources, such as rice and beans. However, apparently even this is not really necessary, unless a significant volume of the food you eat is fruit. The below article says the required amounts of the different essential amino acids had been set too high, and that virtually all unprocessed plant foods have enough of all the essential amino acids.

The Myth of Complementary Protein (forksoverknives.com (Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D.), 3. June 2013)

 

[beancounter]

Whenever someone states this myth, I just say "I've been a vegetarian for 25 years, do I look unhealthy"

 

[Blobbenstein]

If you live off bread, pasta and rice etc you're gonna need to find some lysine.

 

[LuvOurMother]

Thumbs up. I just had to explain the protein combo myth to someone yesterday....

 

[Blobbenstein]

Dietary sources

The nutritional requirement per day, in milligrams of lysine per kilogram of body weight, is: infants (3–4 months) 103, children (2 years) 64, older children (10–12 years) 60 to 44, adults 12.[8] For a 70 kg adult, 12 milligrams of lysine per kilogram of body weight is 0.84 grams of lysine. Note that recommendations were subsequently revised upwards, e.g. 30 mg/kg for adults.[9]
Good sources of lysine are high-protein foods such as eggs, meat (specifically red meat, lamb, pork, and poultry), soy, beans and peas, cheese (particularly Parmesan), and certain fish (such as cod and sardines).[10]
Lysine is the limiting amino acid (the essential amino acid found in the smallest quantity in the particular foodstuff) in most cereal grains, but is plentiful in most pulses (legumes).[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysine#Dietary_sources

L-Lysine is a necessary building block for all protein in the body. L-Lysine plays a major role in calcium absorption; building muscle protein; recovering from surgery or sports injuries; and the body's production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.

 

[Second Summer]

I don't know who is correct, but the article I posted seems to imply even lysine is found in sufficient quantities in most unprocessed plant foods.

 

[Blobbenstein]

if you lived off vegetables, maybe you'd get enough lysine, but as I said, if a substantial portion of your calories come from grains, like pasta, bread, rice etc, then maybe lack of lysine may become a problem.

 

[ledboots]

if you lived off vegetables, maybe you'd get enough lysine, but as I said, if a substantial portion of your calories come from grains, like pasta, bread, rice etc, then maybe lack of lysine may become a problem.

My husband (long term vegan, eats pretty healthy but isn't too much into legumes) is taking a lysine supplement and says he feels much better. He takes B12 also, and that's all; he's not much into taking things.

 

[Everleigh]

I'm really interested in this.So do you have to combine the grain and bean to get the most lysine or is it just ok to eat the beans by themselves to get the lysine?

 

[ledboots]

I'm really interested in this.So do you have to combine the grain and bean to get the most lysine or is it just ok to eat the beans by themselves to get the lysine?

I think just the beans. Interesting,


http://www.bastyrcenter.org/content/view/641/
" Vegetarians who emphasize grains in their diet, however, are at risk of developing lysine deficiency. In addition, the way foods are prepared can greatly affect their lysine content. For example, cooking meats or legumes at very high temperatures can destroy significant amounts of lysine. Even low-temperature cooking can destroy lysine in the presence of certain sugars (fructose, glucose, or lactose), as might occur when baking sweet foods or baking with milk. Using sucrose (table sugar) when baking with yeast can also destroy significant amounts of lysine because yeast breaks sucrose down into fructose and glucose. Consequently, even people who consume presumably adequate amounts of animal protein and legumes are not guaranteed of having optimal lysine status.

Avoiding pastries, pies, cookies, doughnuts, and similar foods, and cooking foods at moderate rather than excessive temperatures, should increase the amount of lysine available to the body. Lysine can also be taken as a dietary supplement; common amounts used are 500 or 1,000 mg per day. Lysine supplementation at that level is considered safe, with no evidence of long-term adverse effects.

Alan R. Gaby, MD, an expert in nutritional therapies, testified to the White House Commission on CAM upon request in December 2001. Dr. Gaby served as a member of the Ad-Hoc Advisory Panel of the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine.

 

[Everleigh]

I do tend to cook some of my beans at high temps so then it sounds like it might be necessary for me to supplement.

I'm just not crazy about adding another supplement to my diet.I already take a multi and flax seed oil.

 

[thefadedone]

Now I'm curious about the lysine as well. I have taken the supplements in the past when I've had canker sores to help get rid of them. They really did work. I've been considering taking them again.

What about spirulina? Has anyone taken that or have any opinions on it?

 

[Blobbenstein]

I take a couple of 1mg lysine pills a day, with my other supplements and meds...I read different amounts were needed in different sources...some said 1mg/day, some were more like 2mg/day.......I sometimes don't eat much in the way of legumes, so I feel it is a good idea.....I got my lysine pills off Amazon.

 

[nigel1]

Whenever someone states this myth, I just say "I've been a vegetarian for 25 years, do I look unhealthy"

I'm not clear on what you mean. Have you not eaten animal protein in the last 25 years?

 

[beancounter]

I'm not clear on what you mean. Have you not eaten animal protein in the last 25 years?

I've been a laco-vegetarian for 25 years.

 

[nigel1]

I've been a laco-vegetarian for 25 years.

Then I guess I'm confused by your statement. Isn't the article about non-animal proteins only? You've been getting animal protein, so your health doesn't contradict any claim that they are necessary.

 

[beancounter]

Then I guess I'm confused by your statement. Isn't the article about non-animal proteins only? You've been getting animal protein, so your health doesn't contradict any claim that they are necessary.

My dairy consumption is incidental at best, but I can't technically call myself vegan, so I don't.

Under conventional wisdom, the amount of dairy I consume would not be adequate for complete nutrion. But because I am healthy, that is not the case.

But I think I see the ultimate point of you questioning, so I'll give you what you're looking for so we can end this exchange.

Vegans are morally superior. Vegetarians are not worthy.

 

[nigel1]

My dairy consumption is incidental at best, but I can't technically call myself vegan, so I don't.

Under conventional wisdom, the amount of dairy I consume would not be adequate for complete nutrion. But because I am healthy, that is not the case.

But I think I see the ultimate point of you questioning, so I'll give you what you're looking for so we can end this exchange.

Vegans are morally superior. Vegetarians are not worthy.

You don't have to be like that - I was just trying to understand your post.

 

[Wolfie]

My husband (long term vegan, eats pretty healthy but isn't too much into legumes) is taking a lysine supplement and says he feels much better. He takes B12 also, and that's all; he's not much into taking things.

I feel a lot better when taking them too, and I don't even take them every day. I never remember to take anything daily.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/protein

 

[Tom L.]

I just like a variety of foods. Much as I love grains, I'd get bored (if not necessarily protein-deficient) if I didn't have other protein foods too.

Ledboots, that's an interesting quote from an article you posted. I usually try to cook things at moderate temperatures from a concern about carcinogenic chemicals being created at high cooking temps, but I didn't know about cooking or sugars lowering the lysine content of foods.